ISO 45001:2018 has been heralded as a ‘game changer’ in the world of voluntary safety management standards. Earlier this year, ISO 45001 was approved by voters of countries from around the world, and has been praised by the American Society of Safety Professionals as a ‘watershed moment’. It is one of the most significant developments in workplace safety over the past 50 years, presenting an opportunity to move the needle on reducing occupational health and safety risks.
The addition of ISO 45001 to the suite of ISO management system standards reinforces that Occupational Health & Safety is a key area of business performance for organisations, and that OH&S is about a lot more than legal compliance. When it is well integrated into the management of an organisation, good OH&S management is an enabler and an asset for a business rather than a cost.
To assist you in understanding the requirements for an ISO 45001:2018 OHS Management System Auditor, we have created a free guide with points from ISO 19011:2018: 10 STEPS TO AUDITING AN ISO 45001:2018 OHS MANAGEMENT SYSTEM.
Key considerations in the new standard
- Setting the organisational context. Organisations will have to look beyond their own health and safety issues and consider what society expects from them, in regard to health and safety issues.
- Increased top management accountability in a number of areas.
- Worker engagement. Siloed management systems have hampered effective OH&S management, and in respect of ISO 45001 workers need the opportunity to contribute and participate in all aspects of the Health & Safety Management System.
- Communication and risk management. ISO 45001 requires that risks and opportunities be established with all workers as part of the planning and implementation process of an OHSMS and that consultation be ongoing.
Auditing of Occupational Health & Safety management systems forms an important part of the process to demonstrate continual improvement. Continual improvement is a core component of every ISO management system. ISO 45001 further refines this, and ‘preventive action’ now becomes a distinct concept of the system as a whole. This means organisations will need to adopt a systemic approach for measuring and monitoring OH&S performance and compliance on a regular basis, as an integral part of the management system function.
Auditors needed for ISO 45001 OHS Management systems
As more organisations move towards seeking validation of their management system against ISO 45001, the demand for auditors will continue to rise. Whether you are new to safety management systems or transitioning from OHSAS 18001, the journey towards becoming a competent ISO 45001 auditor begins by becoming familiar with:
- The high level structure for management systems based on Annex SL and how this affects auditing.
- The new requirements for understanding the organisation and its context and how they may be audited.
- The new and enhanced requirements for leadership and worker participation and how this affects auditing.
- Risk-based thinking in an OHSMS and how this extends to requirements for risks and opportunities and how these may be audited.
- The changes from a procedural approach to a process approach and how they may be audited.
- How to adapt your auditing technique to accommodate the new and amended requirements in ISO 45001:2018.
- Migration time frames for ISO 45001 and their impact on existing OHSAS 18001 certified organisations.
How can Risk ZA assist you?
To encourage the internal and supplier auditing functions, Risk ZA has developed a practical 2 Day ISO 45001:2018 Auditing course. The course provides the theoretical and practical knowledge of OHS auditing required to determine the conformance of the management system arrangements and its performance; based on outcomes. Delegates complete practical exercises and other assessments which relate to the requirements of ISO 45001:2018, hazards and other significant factors which influence the organisations OHS performance.
Persons attending this course will be able to facilitate internal Occupational Health & Safety management system audits based on the ISO 45001:2018 Standard and the ISO 19011 Standard for management system auditing. Plan and facilitate audits, set and recommend corrective actions, follow up and close out audit findings.
This course is recommended for Occupational Health and Safety Practitioners, Line Managers, Supervisors, and Management.
Download our free guide
Uncover the tools necessary for an ISO 45001:2018 Auditor by downloading our FREE downloadable guide: 10 STEPS TO AUDITING AN ISO 45001:2018 OHS MANAGEMENT SYSTEM
For more information or guidance on which ISO standard(s) and services would best suit the needs of your organisation, please email Risk ZA at info@riskza.com or contact us on 0861 Risk ZA / +27 (0) 31 569 5900.